Journal-box.



PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

C. W. BARBER.

' JOURNAL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30,1907.

CARVER W. BARBER, OF RED WING, MINNESOTA.

JOURNAL-B OK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Application filed April 30, 1907. Serial No. 371,063.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARVER W. BARBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Red WVing, in the county of Goodhue and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Journal-Box, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in journal boxes.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of journal boxes, more especially the construction of the lid, and to enable the latter, when closed, to be both dust proof and oil tight.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide means for securely locking the lid in its closed position and for holding the lid open.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction,within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car axle journal box, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a pers ective view of the journal box, the cover eing removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the lid and front ortion of the journal box. Fig. 4 is a detai perspective view of the lid. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view, illustrating the construction of the catch and the lugs of the box and the lid. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view, illustrating the manner of hinging the lid to the journal box. Fig. 7 is a detail view, illustrating the construction of the ear of the lid.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

1 designates a car axle journal box, having an opening 2 at the front and provided with a lid 3, pivoted to the journal box at one side thereof by means of a bolt 4. The journal box is provided at the lower half of the opening with an outwardly projecting substantially semi-circular rib 5, having an arcuate groove 6 at its inner or upper face to receive the lower edge 7 of the lid, when the latter is closed. The lid is substantially circular and its lower edge, which is approximately semicircular, is beveled on the exterior to fit the groove 6, which is \I-shaped in cross section. This construction provides inclined edges, which extend upwardly and forwardly and which cooperate to force the lid inwardly during the closing movement to provide an oil tight and dust proof joint.

The lid is provided at its upper edge with an inwardly and rearwardly projecting rib 8, which has an arcuate groove 9 at the inner or lower edge to receive a projecting beveled arcuate edge 10 of theournalbox. The rib 8 is approximately semi-circular in cross section, and the groove is V-shaped in cross section. The projecting edge 9 is beveled at the rear to fit the groove, and it extends substantially half way round the opening of the journal box. This provides engaging or interlocking inclined edges at the upper half of the journal box to force the lid inwardly,

during the closing movement. The inclined edges at the upper half of the journal box extends upwardly and forwardly, so that the members of the interlocking connec tions 6 and 7 and 9 and 10 are engaged with and disengaged from each other simultaneously.

The journal box is provided at one side with a projecting ear 11, and the lid has a corresponding ear 12 at the same side of the box. The journal box is provided at the op posite side with a lug 13, and the lid has a corresponding lug 14. The ears and the lugs interrupt the continuity of the joints between the lid and the journal box, and in order to render the journal box oil tight and dust proof at the ears and lugs, the journal box is provided with grooves 15, arranged concentric with the opening 2 and adapted to receive corresponding ribs 16, projecting from the inner face of the lid and having slightly rounded ends. When the lid is closed, the ribs 16 fit in the grooves 15 and rovide intermediate interfitting bearings at the ears and the lugs. The car 11 and the lug 13 have their outer faces flush with the front face of the journal box at the opening 2, and the bolt4, which pierces the ears 11 and 12, projects rearwardly beyond the ear 11 and receives a coiled spring 17, which is adapted to draw the lid tightly in engagement with the journal. box. The coiled spring is interposed between the ear 11 and the nut 18, and the latter is confined on the threaded portion of the bolt by means of a suitable key 19 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawing.

In order to automatically lock or interlock the parts, when the lid is closed, the ear 11 of the journal box is provided at the bolt opening with a horizontal recess or groove 20, and the ear 12 of the lid is provided at oposite sides of the pivot bolt with projecting ugs 21, adapted to fit in the horizontal recess or groove 20, when the lid is closed. The spring draws the lugs 21 into the recess or groove in the closing movement of the lid, and it also operates to hold the lid in its open position. In the opening movement of the lid, the spring permits the lugs 21 to leave the recess or groove 20. j

The lid is positively locked in its closed position by a spring catch 22, constructed of a single piece of spring wire, or other suit.- able material and composed of two similar sides and a connecting spring coil 23, located at the bottom of the catch. The upper terminals 24 of the catch are bent at right angles to provide a pivot for the catch, and are sprung into a perforation 25 of the lid at the inner and outer faces thereof, and the sides of the catch are adapted, when the lid is closed, to embrace the lugs 13 and 14, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing.

The catch is adapted to be swung upwardly and downwardly to engage it with and disengage it from the lug of the journal box, and it is retained in engagement with the same by means of intermediate bowed portions 26, forming inwardly extending portions or projections, which engage recesses or depressions 27 and 28 of the lugs 13 and 14.

The depression 27 is formed in the rear face of the lug 18, and the other depression 28 is arranged at the front of the face of the lug 14 of the cover. The upward or outward movement of the catch is limited by a projection 29 of the lug 14 of the cover, and when the catch is swung upward to the said projection 29, it engages the same and further upward movement of the catch will operate to open the lid.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a ournal box having a substantially circular opening at the front and provided at the lower portion thereof with a projecting rib having an arcuate groove and extending along the bottom and part way u the sides of the said opening, said journa box being also provided at the upper ortion with a projecting arcuate edge exten ing along the top of the said opening and part way down the sides thereof, and a cover pivoted to the box at one side near the terminals of the arcuate rib and edge and provided at the bottom with an arcuate edge to fit the groove of the journal box, and having a rearwardly projecting rib at its upper box at one side thereof and having its lower edges beveled to fit the inclined edges of the rib of the journal box, said lid being also provided at the back with an upper rib grooved to provide an upwardly and forwardly inclined edge for engaging the inclined edge at a I,

the top of the opening of the journal box.

3. The comblnation of a journal box having an openinig at the front and provided at the top thereo with an arcuate edge and having an arcuate rib at the bottom of the opening, said rib being grooved and having its terminals spaced from the terminals ofsaid arcuate edge, and a lid ivoted to the journal box at one side thereo and havinga lower edge to engage the groove of the said rib and provided at the top with a rearwardly extending grooved rib to interlock with the edge at the top of the opening, said journal box and lid being also provided at opposite sides of the opening with interfitting grooves and ribs located at the space between the terminals of the upper arcuate edge and the lower rib of the journal box and the said lid being movable upwardly and outwardly in opening.

4. The combination of a journal box having an opening and provided at one side thereof with a projecting lug, a lid pivoted to the journal box at one side of the opening and having a projecting lug at the opposite side, and a resilient locking device pivotally connected with the lid and composed of two sides receiving the lugs of the journal box and the lid, when the latter is closed, whereby the lid is locked in its closed position.

5. The combination of a journal box having an opening and provided at one side thereof with a projecting lug, a lid pivoted to the journal box at one side of the opening and having a projecting lug at the opposite side, and a resilient locking device pivotally connected with the lid and composed of two sides receiving the lugs of the journal box and the lid when the latter is closed and having means for engaging the said lugs forholding it against pivotal movement.

6. The combination of a journal box having an opening and provided with a projecting lug, a lid pivoted to the journal box and having a lug, said lugs being provided with depressions, and a resilient catch ivoted to the cover and rovided with si es spaced apart to strad e the lugs and having inwardly extending portions for engaging the said depressions.

A 7. The combination of a journal boX having an opening and provided with a lug, a lid pivoted to the journal boX and also provided With a lug, a resilient catch composed of two sides and a connecting spring bend, the terminals of the sides being bent to form pivots and mounted on the cover, said sides being bent inwardly at an intermediate point for ]Engaging the lugs of the lid and the journal- 8. The combination of a journal box having an opening and provided with a lug, a lid pivoted to the journal boX and also provided with a lug, the latterlug having a projecting stop, and a resilient catch pivotally mounted on the lid and having spaced sides to straddle in the presence of two witnesses.

CARVER W. BARBER.

Witnesses:

A. P. PIERCE, D. M. NEILL. 

